Releasable connecter



July 8, 1924.-

E. DEATRICK RELEASABLE commcwmn Filed April 18 15711677307 ZdwarJ 60 6 gut/fa,

Patented July 8, 1924.

EDWARD nnn'rnrok. or LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA;

RELEASABLE oonnnorna;

Application fiIedr'April 18, 1922. .Serial No. 554,560.

. To all whom If-may concern:

. Be it knownthatali, EDWARD-DEATRIOK, a

citizen of the United States, residingat Lancaster, in the county ofLancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented ,certa in new and; useful- Improvements in. Releasable -Connecters, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention "relates to releasable connecters and 1S useful for many purposes such;

asquickly releasing livestock in an emer-.

gency or at any time.

The objectof thei-nvention-isto produce a simple and reliable device otrthe character specified, which will enable? acoln'iecter member, such asjthe terminal link or ring of a chain. to besecurely locked andqheld by thrusting such member into the frame or casing of the devic'ewhere'it causes the looking means to functionaimmediately.

A further obj ectl is to i provide releasing means whereby the locking means is retracted and the connecter member either ejected or left free to be withdrawn. Y

Tolthe above ends, the invention consists is th novel construction, combination, and

'arrangementherein fully described,- shown 7 and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a front face view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the same;

The releasable connecter, in the illustrated embodiment thereof, comprises a frame or casing 5 of box-like formation having attaching lugs 6 to receive fasteners for securing the same to any kind of support such as a wall, post or manger. The frame 5 embodies a slot 7 forming the entrance to a guideway 8 lying between parallel guiding lugs or extensions 9 within the casing. The guideway 8 is designed to admit the connecter member 10 which may consist of a ring or terminal link of a chain, cable or rope used for tethering or other purposes.

A locking bolt 11 slidable in guideways within the casing 5 is movable across the guideway 8 to engage and release the member 10, and is retracted and normally retained in non-functioning position by a spring 12 encircling the bolt and arranged between a pin or shoulder 13 on the bolt and a fixed partof the casing 5, such as one of the lugs 9.

for cooperation with the correspondingly rounded cam face 15-ofone arm ofa boltoperating lever 16' of bell crank type, said lever;beingfulcrumed at 17, the shorter armworklng againstthe bolt 11, andithe longer arm lying in the pathof the member 10, so asto be actuated by said member as the latter is pushedthrough the guideway 8. As the: lever 16 is acted on by. the inward thrust of the member 10, the lever in turn acts on the bolt 11, forcing the latter into locking engagement with themember 10,- as

shownin Fig. 3.;

When the lever keeper 18, piovtally mounted at 19,- and yieldingly sustained in engagement with the extremity of the lever 16 by means of'a spring 20. The keeper is shown as constituting the armature of an electro-magnet 21, within the casing 5. Upon energizing the magnet 21, the armature keeper 18 ismoved out oi engagement with the lever 16, tripping the latter and permitting the spring 12 to expand. This causes the bolt 11? to be quickly retracted and further causes the longer arm of thelever 16to swing forward and strike the c'onnfecter member- 10, driving the lattcr out 'of the guideway'S. The lugs 9 are formed with notches 22 deep enough to receive the longer arm of the lever 16 and permit the same to strike against the member 10 to eject the latter from the eas- 111g.

The keeper 18 may be manually operated to release the connecter member 10 by means of a push rod 23 attached at one end to the keeper and passing through a hole in wall of the casing 5 where it is provided with push button or head 24. A. spring 25, inside of the casing 5, engages a shoulder on the rod 23 and normally holds the head 24 in a projecting position as shown is Fig. 3.

By means of the construction above described it will be seen that the release operation may be effected either electrically or mechanically.

What I claim is:

1. A releasable connecter embodying a casing having an opening therein, a connecter member insertable into said opening, a movable bolt adapted to engage and release said connecter member, a bolt-operatlever having a portion thereof in the lug path of said connecter member, means fol.

. One endof-the boltill isrouncled as at 14' 16 reaches the position, shown in-Fig. 3, it is-caught' andheldby-a a and release said ring,

retaining said lever in bolt-thrusting position, and means for retracting the bolt and causing said lever to strike and eject the connecter member.

2. A releasable connecter embodying a frame having a guideway, a connecter member insertable in said guideway and adapt ed to be engaged able across said guideway to engage and release said connecter member, a bolt-operat ing lever having a portion thereof in the path of said connecter member, means for retaining said lever in bolt-thrusting position, and yieldable means for retracting the bolt and causing said lever to strike and eject the connecter member.

-3. An electric lock comprising a suitably housed electro-magnet and cooperating looking mechanism, including a tilting armature adjacent said magnet, said housing having a" slot therein and a ring inserted through said slot, a sliding bolt'projecting through said ring for holding it in said slot, a lever pivotally supported within said housing and held normally in a fixed position by said armature, said lever having an arm adapted in its fixed position to hold said bolt in locked engagement with said ring and another arm overlying said slot, a spring tending to cause said bolt to recede and means for throwing and releasing said tilting armature out of engagement with said lever, said spring being adapted to throw said lever into contact with said ring and eject it from said slot when the lever is released.

4. In combination, a casing having an opening through one side thereof, a ring inserted in said opening, a sliding bolt withsaid casing by a bolt, a bolt mov-' in said casing adapted to be inserted through said ring for locking the same to said casing, a lever fulcrumed on a fixture within having an arm normally pressing against and holding said bolt in locked engagement with said ring and another arm overlying said opening, releasable means for holding said lever normally in locked position, means for causing said releasable means to release said locking lever, and a spring acting on said bolt against the pressure of said lever'releasingsaid ring when said lever is released; adapted to force said bolt against said lever and cause the long arm thereof-to strike said ring and eject it from said slot when the lever is released.

5. An electro-mechahical lock comprising a casing having an oblong slot therein, a ring inserted through said slot, a sliding bolt normally projecting fo'r securing it to said casing, a spring acting on said bolt to releasesaid ring, a lever acting on said bolt against the'force of said springso as to hold it in locked engage ment with said ring, said lever having an arm overlying said slot, releasable'means for locking said lever withsaid bolt and ring in locked position, and independent electrically and manually actuated means forunlocking said lever being adapted to force said bolt against said lever and cause the long arm thereof to strike said ring and force it outof said slot when the lever is released. p

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

EDWARD 'DEATRIGK.

said spring being through said ring 

